Engagement Problems
by leeksandmisosoup
Summary: Poor Hermione. Everybody is ganging up on her just because she's marrying someone they dislike. NOT COMPLIANT WITH DH. KINDA.


**Engagement Problems**

Summary: Poor Hermione. Everybody is ganging up on her just because she's marrying someone they dislike. NOT COMPLIANT WITH DH. KINDA.

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters, settings, and related plots belong to J.K. Rowling, et al.

* * *

'He's a right foul git,' said Fred Weasley, crossing his arms. 

'He is, he is,' agreed George, copying his twin brother's stance while nodding.

Hermione Granger snorted, turning back to the task at hand – cleaning the dishes at the Burrow. With one wave of her wand, the once Head Girl at Hogwarts had the cutlery and plates scrubbing themselves. Another wave and two tea towels toweled the sparkling dishes. Another and the dry dishes floated off to their proper places in the cramped kitchen, the tea towels folding themselves neatly and hanging themselves on the towel rack.

'They're right, you know,' said Charlie Weasley, his calloused hands searching for sweets in a cupboard. His partner in crime, Bill, gestured frantically at the hidden stash of Chocolate Frogs behind the secret opening in the back of the cupboard.

His hands full of the chocolate amphibians, Bill nodded, his tooth earring jingling back and forth, and said, 'Of course they're right. Anybody who's anybody – wait, is that how it goes?'

The only witch in the room ignored them as Bill tried to figure out the saying.

'Somebody who's anybody? But that has no flow… Nobody who's anybody? That just contradicts itself and makes no sense…'

Fleur Delacour entered and wrapped her hands around her husband's waist, pressing her face against his back.

'Don't _you_ have an opinion?' asked Hermione, her tone livid with annoyance.

Fleur looked at her, unruffled. She replied with a smile, 'I sink love is love. You love who you love, and no one uzzer.' She gave her husband an adoring look while he screwed up his scarred face in concentration.

'Is that how it goes?' Bill asked her. His wife shook her silvery locks with a secret smile.

'At least someone here has feelings,' muttered Hermione.

Ron came in from the garden, his mouth stuffed with chocolate éclairs. 'You can't marry him!' he muffled out, careful not to spray others with the food.

Harry came in right behind him with Ginny, who held the tray of éclairs.

'Mhm, he's a huge prat,' said Harry, having overheard the conversation. His fingers wriggled over the tray as he searched for a scrumptious-looking éclair. Ginny smacked him in the arm with the back of her hand. Harry made kissing motions at her, the corners of his lips curving into a smile.

'Be nice,' she admonished. 'I think it's kind of sweet.'

'You would,' Fred muttered darkly.

Ginny sent him a death glare. 'I have good taste,' she retorted, grabbing Harry's arm with her free hand.

Charlie strode up to George, his hands cupped and filled with Chocolate Frogs. He offered one to the Weasley twin before snorting at Fred. 'She has you there.'

When Fred gave him a doubtful look, Charlie and George both clasped a hand to his shoulders. Harry was laughing about Fred's look. He knew they loved having him around.

'Honestly – Ginny can do one hell of a Bat Bogey Hex,' said Charlie.

George patted his twin on the shoulder gently. 'So I'd be certain to stay clear of annoying her.'

'Unless you're mental,' sniggered Ron, reaching for another éclair from the tray.

'Blimey, you're right! I remember when Ginny hexed Malfoy and he looked like his face was just mangled in a meat grinder. Well, not _quite_ like that,' said Fred, shuddering at the memory. 'Of course, it was brilliant, but I wouldn't like that to happen to me…'

Hermione rolled her eyes, adverting them to the happily married couple near the cupboard. She pointed with an open mouth and a shocked expression at them. All the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione had their attention on Bill and Fleur.

Fleur took a Chocolate Frog from her husband and easily broke the poor creature's legs off with a sly smile. Bill opened his mouth expectantly and stuck his tongue out. With a strange delicacy, the French woman placed one of the Frog's chocolate legs onto his outstretched tongue. Bill's family watched as he curled his tongue around it and dragged it into his mouth. George made a retching motion behind them as they repeated the process with the other frog leg.

Ginny scrunched up her face with unpleasantness. She tugged on Harry's arm and got him to bend down. 'That's what we get, having Phlegm in the family,' she whispered in his ear. The Boy Who Lived just smiled.

Bill looked up at them, after eating the second leg, with a surprised expression. 'Where's Ron?'

Looking around, the residents of the kitchen shook their heads. It seemed like a silly thing to say after their family and guests had just seen them dripping with public displays of affection and strong sexual tension, which they didn't need.

'Well, are we all done with criticising my fiancé?' snapped Hermione, shoving her wand angrily into her robes.

Nobody said a word. They were more than ready to continue on the subject, but with the sound of Hermione's flaring anger and after just having witnessed the unwanted Bill-Fleur scene, it didn't seem like such a good idea.

'Good. Now that that's settled –'

'Oh no, Hermione, dear, you can't possibly … I won't let you!' Mrs Weasley exclaimed, as she burst into the kitchen. Her face was slightly red.

'How did you know?' squeaked Hermione in surprise.

'Ron told me. But that's unimportant, dear!' Mrs Weasley scooted through the room to Hermione's side. She gave Bill and Charlie disapproving looks as she passed them; she'd seen their hands full of Chocolate Frogs. Molly wrapped her arms around Hermione and pressed her into a gut-wrenching hug.

'Ron!' yelled Hermione, her body held prisoner by Mrs Weasley. 'How dare you tell people who I haven't told personally!'

Ron, his face as red as his ears, shuffled into the house. His hands were shoved deeply into his robe pockets and his head was down, in hopes of avoiding another row with the bushy-haired witch. He seemed to always be having a row with her, unlike Harry.

'How could you be so inconsiderate?' yelled Hermione, her face tingeing pink. She'd been successfully removed from Mrs Weasley's hold on her. Charlie gave her a wink.

'I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault. Mum asked me what all the ruckus was in here and I told her we're debating your marriage. It wasn't on purpose. It just slipped out!' shouted Ron back, his face heating up.

Hermione was about to snap something back at him when Mrs Weasley placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. 'It's really not his fault, dear.'

Slightly soothed, Hermione dropped into a seat. Taking a deep breath, she asked, 'Who else knows that I haven't told?'

'Just Arthur, dear,' replied Mrs Weasley at the moment Mr Weasley entered the room.

'Yes?' he asked. He was clearly puzzled.

'Oh, nothing. Hermione just wants to know who knows about her engagement,' said Mrs Weasley politely. She glanced at the Muggle-born to see if she would explode at her husband like she did with Ron. Hermione just sat there, looking dejected.

'Ah, yes, right you are,' answered Mr Weasley, a broad grin spreading across his face. In a fraction of a second he remembered to whom she was getting married and a frown crossed his brows. 'I have to tell you, I've dealt with his family in the past. They're a bunch of no-good, You-Know-Who supporting, dark wizards.'

'Yes, yes!' Mrs Weasley exclaimed, rubbing her hands frantically on her robes. 'Not people you should be associating yourself with!'

Hermione ignored them.

'You're not budging, are you?' asked Fred.

'No.'

'What!' the twins exclaimed.

'Please, don't marry him!' implored Ron, his hands together in a prayer. He sank down to his knees and crawled over to her seat to rest his elbows on her thighs. He shook his clasped hands at her with a pleading expression set on his face.

'If you need someone to marry, marry Sirius,' said Harry.

The entire procession whipped their heads his way. He wasn't gloomy, and he didn't look nonplussed at all of their eyes staring at him. He seemed completely unawares that he'd said something depressing, but at the same time seemed like he knew he was sane.

Hermione glanced over at him and gave him a forlorn expression. 'Harry, Sirius is dead,' she said softly.

'I know! But it would be better than marrying that dolt! I'd rather you be a Black than a –'

'Look,' said Fred, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulders as George did the same to him, 'he can't even say the bloody name, it's so horrible.'

'Oi, you two!' scolded Mrs Weasley sharply.

Shocked, Hermione turned herself away from the family. She was facing Percy as he walked into the room, his horn-rimmed glasses pushed up against the bridge of his nose. With his nose held high as if he were someone important, the 'ambitious' Weasley grabbed a chocolate éclair from the tray Ginny still held before turning round to the stairs again. He walked past Hermione without commenting.

She announced, 'Wow! Someone can pass right by me without giving me any advice or their opinion!' She threw her hands up in the air.

At the foot of the stairs, Percy stopped and marched right back to Hermione. 'Oh, right, I heard about your marriage. I'm telling you this out of respect for you and the entire wizarding community: you do not want to associate with that family and, in regards to your engagement, you should call it off.' With that, the young man turned round and continued up the stairs.

'Ha! Even Percy was right, and we all know how much of a git that guy is!' shouted Ron.

'Ron!' Mrs Weasley reprimanded.

'Marry Percy, Charlie, Fred, or George. Merlin, you could even marry me! Just not him!' said Ron.

'No, I will not!' shouted Hermione. Turning back to the afore-mentioned boys, she said, 'Sorry…'

'No problem,' said George. 'I kind of fancy Verity anyway.'

'Hey, I fancy Verity,' said Fred, turning to his twin.

'That wouldn't be the first thing that you fancied that I fancy,' replied George, crossing his arms with a faux offended look.

'Right, right …'

'I think I'm a little too old for you, Hermione,' laughed Charlie. 'And I don't think Percy will marry anyone until his "ambitions" are fulfilled.'

Ron blushed. He was the only one left of the Weasleys that Hermione could marry.

'Oh, Ron,' she chided. 'You're my friend.'

He blushed a deeper shade of red, almost matching his hair colour. His ears were completely red. Ron looked down, rather embarrassed with himself, and didn't say another word.

The family, Harry, and Hermione sat there in an uncomfortable silence. Neither of them wanted to bring up the now touchy subject of her fiancé.

A knock sounded throughout the house.

'Oh, I forgot!' mumbled Hermione, pressing her hands to her mouth. 'I'm sorry, but I told him he could come pick me up when we were done eating. I guess he knew… I'm sorry I forgot to tell you he was coming over…'

'Never you mind, dearie,' said Mrs Weasley with a forced smile set on her face. She rushed off to answer the door.

She made her way back into the kitchen, followed by a young man dressed in an all black suit who towered over her stout frame. Molly bustled in, while the man seemed to stride with a sort of waltz. The way he walked gave the impression that his family was incredibly rich and he was brought up with a regal, harsh upbringing.

'Are you ready to go?' a silky smooth voice asked as the male speaker stared at Hermione.

The Muggle-born witch gave him a tight-lipped smile before standing up. 'Goodbye, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Ron, Harry, Ginny.' She nodded to each of them in turn. 'Thank you very much for supper and the desserts.' They each gave her their own goodbyes.

Mrs Weasley patted her on the shoulder. 'You know you are always welcome, dear.'

With a nod, Hermione walked to the foot of the stairs and yelled, 'Goodbye, Percy. It was nice visiting you.' She earned a grunt in response.

She headed toward the door, craning her neck to see her fiancé and Harry and the rest of the Weasley family in the sitting room. 'Coming?' she asked demurely. This time, her small smile wasn't strained, and the corners of her pink lips kept twitching in tiny amusement.

Her tall, white-blond-haired, grey-eyed fiancé nodded. Turning back to the family and saying, with a nod, 'Potter, Weasleys,' Draco Malfoy rounded to follow Hermione out the door.

* * *

A/N: Short little One Shot. I'm in the Harry Potter spirit. Since Tom Felton does such a nice job as Draco Malfoy, I'd much rather picture this with the cast from the movies. I'm not too fond of the book Draco. Except in Deathly Hallows. There he's such a cutie; an ass, but a cutie. 

And I can't believe I even wrote this! I always told myself that I wouldn't read Harry Potter fanfiction; it just doesn't seem right! Mostly because they have turned the book series into live action movies, and I thought I would always envision the characters as the way the movies portray them, not like the book. (Then, again, I did read Troy fanfiction and that has the very real Brad Pitt in it.) But I did, and then I told myself that I wouldn't write Harry Potter fanfiction, and now I have……… Oh, dear…

I did my best to Britisize (new word I invented) it. Since we Canadians write much like the English do, all I had to run around changing are the insults and the spelling (eg. "realizing" to "realising"). I added the '' instead of the "" to make it more British…

EDIT I just realized that my brother and I always call each other "dolts" and that's a British insult!


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